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Ageing of Beef Technical Guideline
This technical guideline explains ageing of beef processes and how to get approval from PrimeSafe to age beef.
Summary
- This Guideline aims to provide food businesses with an understanding of how to comply with the regulatory requirements for wet-ageing or dry-ageing meat and how to gain approval to age meat. It does not replace a thorough understanding of the Standards that are referred to in this Guideline.
Ageing is a process during which microbes and enzymes act upon the meat to help breakdown the connective tissue to tenderise the meat and produce new flavours. There are two ways ageing can be accomplished:
- Wet ageing – by placing beef in a plastic bag under vacuum and storing it in a temperature-controlled environment for days or weeks; or
- Dry ageing – by storing beef either unpacked or packed in water permeable bags in a temperature and humidity-controlled environment for several weeks.
Aged meat is sold with the intention that it be cooked prior to consumption.
Wholesomeness of meat
The Australian Standard for the Hygienic Production and Transportation of Meat and Meat Products for Human Consumption (AS 4696) requires meat to be wholesome, meaning (amongst other things) that it is not likely to cause disease, and is free of obvious contamination and defects that consumers would be likely to find objectionable. The loss of wholesomeness of fresh meat can be determined by observation of lack of dryness, discoloration, visible mould, sliminess, or odour.
The freshness, quality, and wholesomeness of meat prior to ageing is essential. Meat stored for ageing purposes must be subjected to a controlled, documented and approved ageing procedure. While the formation of a crust (dry ageing) or purge (wet ageing) might seem to not conform to the definition of wholesomeness, they are part of a process that is not seen by consumers and leads to a wholesome product being presented for consumption.
Approval to manufacture
- All PrimeSafe licensed businesses intending to manufacture dry-aged meat for human consumption must:
- Comply with the requirements of the Australian Standard for the Hygienic Production and Transportation of Meat and Meat Products for Human Consumption (AS 4696);
- Inform PrimeSafe of their intent to commence producing dry aged meat; and
- The premises and equipment need to be approved by a PrimeSafe inspector.
2. If intending to wet-age a species of meat other than beef, it firstly must be commonly traded in international markets (e.g., lamb, mutton, pork), and secondly, in addition to complying with the other requirements of this section, validation data must be provided to demonstrate that the product will be wholesome.
If intending to dry age a species of meat other than beef, in addition to complying with the other requirements of this section, validation data must be provided showing the product microbiological quality, pH and water activity at several times through the process to demonstrate that the product will be wholesome.
3. If the Usual Parameters defined in this guideline are used for controlling the process, approval of a revised Food Safety Program for ageing of beef can be considered by the licensee’s approved Conformity Assessment Body (CAB) auditor. If variation to the Usual Parameters in this guideline are proposed, the amended Food Safety Program must be submitted directly to PrimeSafe.
When the Standards define the requirements and a prescriptive requirement is given (e.g. the Usual Parameters) in this Guideline or in Standards an alternate equivalent technique can be used with PrimeSafe’s prior approval.
4. Licensees are required to comply with AS 4696, particularly:
- A documented procedure that covers the ageing process (clause 3.1).
- Implementation of a HACCP plan for each stage of production of aged meat (clause 3.11)
- Validation of the process including records for the controls and testing outlined in this guideline (clause 3.11)
- Controls to ensure aged meat does not leave the premises unless it is wholesome (clause 15.11) and accurately described in accordance with the relevant standard (see Shelf Life and Labelling PrimeSafe Technical Guideline). Product labelling should indicate the ageing process used.
- Controls to ensure aged meat not fit for human consumption is removed from the food chain and dealt with separately to other meat products (clause 15.13).
Usual Parameters
In this section, limits are being set, so there is only one value. In the sections on Dry Ageing and Wet Ageing, recommendations for parameters are given as ranges.
Dry ageing limits
- Temperature: not more than 3°C
- Relative Humidity: not more than 85%
- Air velocity: not less than 0.2 m/s.
Wet ageing limits
- Temperature not more than 5°C.
The freshness, quality, and wholesomeness of meat prior to ageing is essential. Fresh unpackaged carcase and meat can be stored for a short time providing it remains wholesome. Frozen or thawed meat must not be aged because the desired enzymatic action will not occur.
It is useful to understand the succession of bacteria, yeasts and moulds that grow on the surface of meat during dry ageing. Moulds are likely to be present early in the process and even grow without dominating and developing a ‘furry’ appearance. The rate at which this will occur will depend on the specific parameters chosen, particularly temperature and RH. The appearance of the product, especially the growth of visible mould, will depend heavily on the ageing time. Some dry age for 14 days, and others may age product for upwards of 90 days. The dry ageing time and the other parameters should be defined together each producing a certain quality of product and needing to be validated as producing a wholesome product. The shelf life of product trimmed and portioned ready for retail sale can be determined based on product appearance and odour (see Shelf Life and Labelling Requirements for Meat Products PrimeSafe Technical Guideline).
Controls
Temperature
A storage temperature between -0.5°C to 3°C may be used. At this maximum temperature, moulds that are known to produce toxins will not grow. The cabinet or room must be at this temperature before product is loaded. When introducing meat, it should be close to the required temperature so that the temperature of the room or cabinet is maintained. The temperature must be recorded daily throughout the ageing process.
Relative Humidity (RH)
Control of RH is important because it restricts growth of bacteria and encourages the growth of yeasts and moulds by drying the meat surface resulting in the formation of a crust. A RH of between 75% to 85% is recommended. Higher RH should not be used because it will result in spoilage of the meat before ageing is complete. The cabinet or room must be at this RH before product is loaded. The RH should be recorded daily for the duration of the ageing process.
Air Flow
To prevent spoilage, portions of meat must be adequately separated from each other to allow efficient and controlled air flow between each portion. The desirable air velocity is 0.2 to 0.5 m/s and can be controlled with a properly designed refrigeration unit and fans. A higher airflow applied at the start of the dry-ageing process will facilitate early crust development and reduce the surface water activity, which may be beneficial.
Cross contamination
Dry ageing must not be conducted in chillers where other fresh meat is stored. Purpose built rooms and cabinets must be used for the dry ageing of meat. Trimming and preparation of product for packaging and sale must be segregated from areas used for fresh meat.
Antibacterial Strategies
Circulation of air through UV treatment or filtration is required in some parts of the world, but without specifying the parameters required to ensure that these systems are effective. If you have a UV treatment system, make sure that it is operating to the manufacturer’s specifications. The use of antibacterial rinses for the preparation of meat for dry ageing is discouraged because the treatment is likely to modify the microbial ecology developing on the meat surface during the dry-ageing process, so must be validated and approved.
Wet ageing of meat describes a general storage process that occurs after a carcase is broken down or boned. The wet ageing process commences when meat is packaged and stored. Wet ageing is the process undergone by all chilled meat exported from Australia. Wholesomeness in vacuum is maintained until the meat begins to smell sour or cheesy when opening the pack, and cooked meat may taste a little like liver. The MLA shelf-life calculator (Shelf Life Calculator | Meat & Livestock Australia) can be used to predict the shelf life in the vacuum pack and also predict the shelf life once out of vacuum and packed ready for sale (see Shelf Life and Labelling Requirements for Meat Products PrimeSafe Technical Guideline).
The freshness, quality, and wholesomeness of meat prior to ageing is essential. Fresh unpackaged carcase and meat can be stored for a short time providing it remains wholesome. Frozen or thawed meat must not be aged because the desired enzymatic action will not occur.
Controls
Temperature
A storage temperature of no more than 5°C must be used. The temperature must be recorded as required in the food safety program throughout the ageing process to ensure the wholesomeness of the meat is maintained in compliance with the requirements of Australian Standard for the Hygienic Production and Transportation of Meat and Meat Products for Human Consumption (AS 4696).
Testing of product is a component of:
- Initial process validation of a process (set of conditions)
- annual revalidation.
There are no microbiological criteria in the Food Standards Code (Standard 1.6.1 Microbiological limits in food) nor are the criteria in the FSANZ Compendium of Microbiological Criteria for Food (July 2025). However, as part of validation, some microbiological data is useful.
Wet-aged meat
At the commencement of ageing: Total Viable Count (lab testing conditions of 25°C for 4 days), and E. coli.
At the end of wet ageing: Total Viable Count (lab testing conditions of 25°C for 4 days) at repacking for sale.
Five 10-gram samples must be taken for testing. Composite testing of the samples is permitted at the laboratory. The TVC result can be used for prediction of shelf life using the MLA shelf-life calculator. The results for the commencement of ageing should be within the expected range for fresh meat to confirm suitability for an ageing process
Dry-aged meat
At the commencement of ageing: Total Viable Count (lab testing conditions of 25°C for 4 days), E. coli, Yeasts and Moulds.
At the end of ageing: for the crust and the meat after trimming and ready for packing: Total Viable Count (lab testing conditions of 25°C for 4 days), E. coli, Yeasts and Moulds.
Five 10-gram samples must be taken for testing. Composite testing of the samples is permitted at the laboratory. The results for the commencement of ageing should be within the expected range for fresh meat to confirm suitability for an ageing process. At the end of ageing E. coli should be <10 cfu/g. Total Viable Count and Yeasts and Moulds can yield variable results. Demonstration of low carry over onto meat for sale should be demonstrated.
Further Information
Meat & Livestock Australia (2019) guidelines-for-the-safe-production-of-dry-aged-meat.pdf
Savini, F., Indio, V., Giacometti, F., Mekkonnen, Y.T., De Cesare, A., Prandini, L., Marrone, R., Seguino, A., Di Paolo, M., Vuoso, V., Tomasello, F., Serraino, A., 2024. Microbiological safety of dry-aged meat: a critical review of data gaps and research needs to define process hygiene and safety criteria. Ital J Food Saf 13, 12438.
Disclaimer
This information is a guide only and must not be used in place of the current Standard. PrimeSafe does not guarantee its accuracy, reliability, currency or completeness, therefore it cannot be used to substitute for legal or professional advice. PrimeSafe accepts no legal liability arising from reliance on any part of this document.
Author
PrimeSafeLast updated
30 April 2026Resource Type
Product
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